596 State Board of Agriculture, &c. 



daylight to l:)ury themselves in it. As they are not very 

 good climbers they can only attack trees of inconsiderable 

 height, but to the dwarf trees so commonly cultivated they 

 may be very destructive. They do not like hard ground to 

 work in and, as they fall from the tree, if they fall upon 

 hard clay, or a stone, they are often destroyed, and putting 

 clay about a tree and beating it smooth might prevent their 

 ravages. Alkaline washes do not seem to affect them. If 

 there is a pile of lime or ashes abotit a tree for them to 

 hide in they like it very well. Cutting off the limbs near- 

 est the ground would check, if it did not prevent their rav- 

 ages. A tin trough placed about the tree is said to be effect- 

 ual. They are very partial to loose, sandy soil, and trees 

 or plants growing in such soil are especially liable to attacks 

 from them. One described by Riley, under the name of 

 Agrotis scandens, has done no little damage in Illinois. It 

 seeks the Inids of dwarf trees which it destroys. Another 

 species, Agrotis cochranii, Riley ^ is also common West. 

 This seeks first the buds of the flow^ers of fruit trees, and 

 after these are destroyed, the leaf buds, doing great mis- 

 chief. I do not know that either of these has appeared in 

 l!s"ew England, ])ut we have an allied moth, Noctua clan- 

 destina, Harris. This does not climb high, but, if there 

 are low liranches, or the trees are small, it reaches the buds 

 and ruins them. It attacks currants and other shrubs as 

 well as many vegetables. The moth is grayish with faint, 

 wavy bands and two small spots on the front wings, while 

 the hind wings are brownish white. It is one and three- 

 fourths inches across the expanded wings. The larva is a 

 little over one inch long, of a dark gray color, becoming 



